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Panther
, , |upkeep = |prereq = Panzer Command |production_struc = Panzer Command |primary_weapon = 7.5 cm KwK 42 Anti-Tank Cannon |secondary_weapon = 2x 7.92mm MG42 Light Machine Gun |garrison = |health = |armor = |speed = |num_products = |produces = |num_abilities = |abilities = |num_upgrades = |upgrades = }} "Panther, ready to breakthrough!" "Shall we Crush them, or Shoot them!?" "Panther deployed, ready for orders!" The Panther is a heavy vehicle unit used by the Axis featured in Company of Heroes and Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts. Overview The Panther, or Panzerkampfwagen V is one of the best tanks on the battlefield. This tank was originally designed in response to the Soviet T-34 tanks of the Eastern Front. The Panther also saw combat during the Invasion of Normandy. The Panther is armed with the 75mm KwK 42 L/70 high velocity gun capable of destroying most Allied tanks during the war. But the true strength of the tank is the 80mm frontal armor with a 55 degree slope with the turret covered with 100mm thick cast mantlet, providing reasonable protection against most tank and anti-tank fire. It is also a highly mobile and agile tank, able to move around the battlefield quickly and overcome most resistance with little trouble. It is a superb tank and is balanced in terms of firepower, mobility, and protection. The 75 KwK 42 l/70 Gun can knock out all but the heaviest Allied vehicles with minimal effort. The Panther is also armed with an MG 42 to engage infantry and light vehicles. Infantry support such as Grenadier Squad, Stormtrooper Squad, and Panzer Grenadier is necessary for the Panther to be used with maximum effectiveness. Access to Blitzkrieg Doctrine with Blitzkrieg assault abilities or Tank Destroyer Tactics with armor-piercing rounds will allow the Panther to increase its combat performance to its maximum. The Panther tank itself is aware of its surrounding and will warn the Axis Commander of incoming off map artillery strikes, though it will also react on the British Royal Commandos Support tactic ability Decoy Artillery. It is also heavy enough to crush enemy Tank Traps as described in Defensive Structure. The Panther is used by both the Wehrmacht and Panzer Elite. The overall large-scale usage of this tank coupled with its high rate of success after fixing initial difficulties has earned the Panther the reputation as one of, if not the, best tanks of the entire war. It should also be noted that although the Panther is primarily a tank destroyer, its accurate cannon allow it to engage infantry on a similar level to the Panzer IV. While lacking explosive power, the Panther is highly accurate and can snipe infantry fairly well, making it an often superior option to almost every Axis tank save the heavy ones. Wehrmacht Panthers are constructed at the Panzer Command. Building a Panther requires a large amount of fuel and manpower. A Panther takes about 1 1/2 minute to deploy. Veterancy is upgraded through the Kampfkraft Center. Panzer Elite Main article: Panther (Panzer Elite) Instead of being constructed in a base structure, they are called up into the front instantly by the Panther Battlegroup ability. Two Panthers are instantly deployed. The Panther Battlegroup only becomes available when Panzer Support Kompanie, Panzerjäger Kompanie, and Kampfgruppe Kompanie have been researched. The Panther Battlegroup requires 1000 manpower to deploy each Panther squad. Veterancy is obtained through combat like all other Panzer Elite units. Description Arguably the most well-rounded tank of World War II, the Panther is a ferocious beast combining heavy firepower, thick armor, and exceptional mobility. The unit's 75mm KwK 442 gun can penetrate even the thickest armor, while the heavy front-mounted armor provides significant protection from enemy fire. Still, modest side and rear armor leaves the Panther vulnerable to flank attacks. Weaknesses Although powerful, the Panther is an expensive unit to deploy and is thus valuable to its commander. Allied Commanders that face the Wehrmacht will usually not see the Panther until late in the game as many Axis Commanders prefer building the cheaper and more reliable Panzer IV or StuG IV. Panthers are usually used very cautiously by their commander because the resource loss from losing a Panther is often crippling. Despite its fearsome reputation the Panther is a medium tank and as such large amounts of anti-tank and tank fire from tanks such as the M10 Tank Destroyer and the Sherman Firefly can knock it out. Infantry with light AT weapons such as the PIAT, Sticky Bombs, Recoiless Rifle, and Bazooka can also be effective against the Panther tanks as they lack the HE (High Explosive) rounds that are effective against Infantry, leaving defense to a top mounted and front mounted MG 42 against such attacks. Since the Panther tanks are heavily armored at the front, advice for Allied Commander is not to go toe-to-toe with them; instead flank them and attack their side and rear armor to cripple the beast and exploit the thinner armor. For Axis Commanders, the support of other panzers and infantry is necessary to allow the Panther to perform at its best on the battlefield and prevent the Allies from taking advantage of the weaker side and rear armor. Support the Panther with a Bergetiger or Pioneer Squad for repairs. Stormtrooper squads upgraded with StG44 assault rifles are particularly effective at protecting them from AT equipped infantry. Panther Variants The Panther tank is also the base tank chassis of the Jagdpanther tank destroyer, and was armed with the more powerful 88mm main gun and additional armor at the expense of having a turretless chassis. There is also a stationary turret of the Panther in use called the Pantherturm, equipped with a Panther turret on top of a concrete bunker. Category:Vehicles Category:Panzer Elite Units Category:Wehrmacht Units